Paint cabinets have heretofore used automatic door closing mechanisms. A sliding door has been used to close the opening to a paint cabinet. A conventional door closure or actuator is attached to the door to close the cabinet's opening. The door closure is stopped from closing the door by means of a temperature sensitive, fusible link. When a fire occurs, the link melts and the door closure is actuated to slide the door over the opening and thus close the cabinet.
This arrangement works only if the track over which the door slides is clear. If in the process of using the cabinet, a paint container on any of the shelves in the cabinet is pushed or is moved to extend into the path of the track or if an object such as a screwdriver or the like is left protruding out of the shelf, the object can and does wedge itself between the cabinet and the door. This prevents the door from closing and defeats the purpose of the door closing mechanism, i.e. a safety device designed to close and seal the cabinet in the event of a fire and possibly prevent an explosion from the combustible material stored in the cabinet should the fire continue.
A hinge door which rotates from an open to a closed position or two doors which would rotate from open to a closed position would, in all probability, remove the problem of articles lying in the track path of a sliding door to prevent the door from closing. Any articles placed at the edge of the shelf would simply be pushed back into the cabinet when the doors rotated into their closed position. However, the door arrangement must be constructed and sequenced to close in a manner which does not permit any space or opening to exist between the doors to prevent flames from spreading out or into the cabinet. Also, the door must also automatically lock in a positive manner so as to prevent opening thereof in the event of explosion of the combustibles within the cabinet.